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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. squash — to crush
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. mark — a trace
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com